It is a basic manoeuvre motorists are expected to perform before passing their driving test.

But one lorry driver’s attempt to complete a three-point turn went badly wrong - when the vehicle’s cab got stuck between two poles on the pavement.

The bungled effort left the huge Royal Mail lorry jack-knifed on the busy central London road, blocking most of the road for three-and-a-half hours last night.

Police soon swooped to redirect traffic before a lorry breakdown service arrived on the scene.

The driver, who did not wish to be named, told the Standard: “I had someone directing me, but I just didn’t see one of the poles. I tried to turn the lorry but the air-line disconnected and the brakes went. Once that’s happened, you’re a gonner.”

He added: “It’s not ideal what has happened. I’ve been driving 18 years and this is the first time I’ve done this.”

Eye-witness Hai Phan, 36, who works at a nearby restaurant, saw the incident unfold around on Clerkenwell Road, Islington, around 7.30pm last night.

He said: “I watched this massive truck try to do a U-turn. I saw him getting into a bit of trouble with it, it was a bit embarrassing. Then you saw the connection between the container and the cab went.

“It was a strange thing to try and do on that road. He should have just carried on going until he could just change his journey. It wouldn’t have been far. He jammed between two poles, and that was it. He was definitely being too ambitious.”